Two more wins and we will see the sequel to the Tiger Slam. We can call it the Lorena Slam.

Three more wins, and we will see the Grand Slam. And it won’t be Tiger Woods at the business end of the equation. It will be Lorena Ochoa, who decided to take this week off after winning the last four weeks in a row. She didn’t win the last four starts, mind you. She finished first for a month straight.  Woods has never played often enough to do that, but the fact remains that he’s never done that.

With Woods losing the Masters to Trevor Immelman after entering the year’s first major as a 9-2 favorite to win the Grand Slam (he was an even-money bet according to Las Vegas oddsmakers to triumph at Augusta National Golf Club), the pressure falls to Immelman. Considering only five men have ever won the U.S. Open after capturing the Masters, we don’t think the South African talent will have to suffer long under Grand Slam scrutiny. No disrespect, but the odds are against him — especially with the Open at Torrey Pines, where Woods goes annually to pick up a winning check and a trophy in the PGA Tour’s regular stop, the Buick Invitational.

But Ochoa, 26, who already has become the youngest qualifier for the Hall of Fame with her 22 career victories — including 19 since 2006 — has a very realistic opportunity to win a Slam. The Lorena Slam run began in August when she won her first major, the Women’s British Open.

3 wins left for the Ochoa Quatro

While Woods is dominant on his side of the golf competition fence, he faces too many challengers who can get hot with a putter and relegate him to another spot in the pecking order if he’s off his game (see Masters, Immelman).

Ochoa not only looks every bit as strong as Annika Sorenstam once did, she appears to have already created more separation between herself and the competition than the incredible Swede has done.  "Lorena is playing great golf," Sorenstam, who came close to winning the Grand Slam in 2003 when she won two majors and finished second and fourth in the two others, said after Ochoa’s victory in the Kraft Nabisco. "She has to peak at the right time and get a few breaks, but it's certainly possible."  Ochoa thinks so, and didn’t hesitate to say so when prompted.

The Torch Hath Been Passed

After his second-place finish in the 72nd Masters, Woods said he learned his lesson about confidently sharing his views about whether or not the Grand Slam was possible.

But was there a lesson really to learn?  If something is possible, why not share the vision?  You can’t achieve great things unless you believe you can do them.  You’re not saying you’re going to achieve those dreams; you’re just making the point that it could be done.  Ochoa is right to not have backed away from the question.  She is playing well, and if she wins the LPGA Championship and U.S Women's Open in June, she’ll have her Ochoa Quatro.  "For sure, I'm thinking about that," Ochoa said recently.  "That's something that would be just great to achieve."  What’s more, she said she is, “ready for that.”

Her game appears ready. Her mind appears right.  After some disastrous finishes in previous major championships, she has learned how to handle all the pressure. The experience has not only made her a dangerous competitor, but it also has made her tough.  Ochoa appears capable of handling whatever challenges come her way and whatever challengers try to get in her way.  We’ve watched for years and marveled at the poise Tiger Woods has continually displayed under pressure. Sorenstam appeared to be close to his equal. But she was only close.

Don’t be surprised if Ochoa rises to that magnificent level — and makes it look easy doing it.